2016 GMC 3500 DRW - TPMS system <?>

rebrecs · December 16, 2019

Hi, My user manual describes a TPMS screen under "info" on the DIC. But, it also says "if installed." The TPMS screen option is not in the scroll list on my vehicle. I cant find any other information in the manual stating that this feature is not installed on 3500s generally, but since is does not come up on the selection screen, I'm going to assume it is not an option for 3500.

So, in that case, what the heck does it have? There is a tire pressure light. Does that come on if any one of the 6 tires is low? 7 tires ? (spare) Does a 3500 even use TP sensors or compute it using axle revs like the old days?

Anyone that is in the know -- thanks in advance for a little schoolin'

--John

HeySkippyDog · December 17, 2019

I've never thought about how TPMS might work on a dually. Interesting. I would imagine your display would have to show it on a per tire basis. On 4 wheeled trucks, it shows a little picture of a truck from the top, with a pressure listed by each wheel. I would imagine on a dually with TPMS, the rear would have 2 pressures on each.

The point of a dually is to distribute heavy weight better over the rear tires to raise capacity over a single rear wheel setup. It wouldn't mean that it's safe to drive with one of the 4 rear tires in bad condition. I bet it's a pain to do tire rotations on. You'd have to have it recalibrated every time or it would get monumentally confusing!

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rebrecs · December 18, 2019

Thanks SkippyDog - yes rotation is a pain. Even without the complexity of TPMS, it is a challenge. The rotation diagram looks like a football play. If you have chrome wheel option, which I do, there are 3 distinct kind of wheels so the rotation rules are different. It is not confusing once you get used to it - but you certainly don't want to put it in a shop to get the tires changed or fixed without having a long talk with the person who is going to do it. The typical tire shop, unless you tell them differently, will break down all 7 tires from their rims, and put them back on to the destination rims. In other words, the rims stay where they are and only the tires move.

So, if there are location specific sensors in the wheels, nothing has to be changed in the electronics regarding location. I don't know about pressure calibrations or the like because I have not gotten that far.

Anyway, so far I have not found any evidence of a "per wheel/ or per tire" display, or TPMS display of any sort. Just one idiot light on the dash.

I have found other things that the 4W trucks can do that the DRW trucks don't have. Thus, I am not surprised the TPMS feature would be absent *without the documentation bothering to mention it.

Hey, everyday is a fun day. Live and learn. Thanks again for your words of encouragement.

x219c · December 19, 2019

It’s probably not there, but something to try is going into the options on the DIC and making sure all of the info screens are turned on. I know TPMS is mandated in vehicles after 2007 or somewhere around there. HDs are in a different class and aren’t always subject to the same laws though. That’s why there’s no epa rating on the window sticker, for example.

As far as how the sensors know where they are... when you rotate them, you go into the DIC and hit the option saying you rotated them. Get out of the truck and take the tpms relearn tool and find which marker light is on. Usually driver front first, I think. Go touch the wheel and the horn will honk saying it learned that position. The next light will turn on. Do the same for that tire. How it would work for drw, I have no idea. Maybe a blinking light for interior tire or something?

The tool is like $20 on Amazon.

Good luck!

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